For two weeks, Auriella went to train the Illyrian Sisterhood.

She had learned each of their names: Delphine, Callista, Helena, Frida, Eria, Jamil, Adelpha, Aiko, Basilah, Ismene, Talia, and Melba.

Auriella repeated them in her mind until she got each of them right.

She taught the women the basics, using Soulender for her demonstrations. The women used their own steel swords, following Auriella's every move. Some of them were quick learners, while others were struggling with the movements. Then there was Basilah and Delphine, who wielded the sword exceptionally.

Morrigan and Nesta still observed from the sidelines, along with Azriel, who would leave mid training. Auriella pretended like she didn't notice but in reality, her heart sank every time she heard his familiar footsteps head to the door.

She hadn't spoken to him through the bond after she found out that she was training the sisterhood. Once she was back in the House of Wind, she didn't talk to anyone, not even her mate. She closed the shields of the bond, not wanting to hear his voice.

Auriella planned to confront Rhysand and Feyre about the whole ordeal, but she decided against it, not wanting to cause a problem with them. Instead, she went along with it, going back to the camp the next day. She trained with the sisterhood first. Then she would have one-on-one sessions with Morrigan and Nesta, who were both training her.

The Third Commander and the Archeron sister did not go easy on her at all. They would all brawl until one of them was left standing, whether it was using their fists or sword, the three wouldn't stop to prove who was better.

Morrigan was quick, dodging attacks with speed equal, if not faster, than Auriella. She remembered seeing her on the battlefield, fighting her way through Hybern's soldiers with rage and determination. The Third Commander was beautiful but deadly, always ready for a fight.

Nesta was surprisingly flexible, quick to dodge any hits that came from all directions. Auriella was barely able to make a scratch, but as the days passed, she studied her movements, predicting what the Kingslayer was going to do next.

And now, on the day before The Choosing, Nesta and Auriella had their swords at each other's throats, breathing heavily. She remembered being in the same position with Cassian, but with lighthearted eyes. She and the general were able to joke around with one another, but with Nesta, there was no amusement in her eyes.

She stared at Auriella with pure anger in her eyes, as if she was her greatest enemy.

Perseus, who was lying peacefully on the floor, immediately got up. He growled at Nesta, prowling closer to his owner. Nesta didn't even pay the wolf any attention.

The Daughter of Dawn tilted her head, "Have I angered you, Archeron? If there is something you wish to do or say, you may." She says.

Nesta stays silent, breathing heavily, and still keeping her eyes on her opponent. Normally, Auriella would sheath her sword. But this time, it was different. She kept her blade pointed, ready for a real fight if it came to it. Her heart pumped with adrenaline, sweat slowly falling from her skin.

In her peripheral vision, Auriella could see two pairs of wings enter the compound, astonished at the stalemate that was in front of them. She felt the bond shake but didn't look away from the Archeron sister.

Auriella, what's going on? Azriel sent down the bond.

She wanted to speak to him, but it was like she was in a trance, unable to look away from Nesta's hateful stare. Auriella barely knew this woman, and yet the sense of familiarity hung between them. She rummaged through her mind but could find nothing of her.

"Put your sword down, Auriella," Cassian says, his voice filled with authority.

Like hell she would.

Suddenly, Azriel's body came into view in front of her, breaking her gaze from Nesta. With his scarred hand, he lowered her blade. His face was stern, keeping himself at bay. Auriella finally sheathed Soulender, walking off of the mat.

The Kingslayer put her weapon down, walking away.

Auriella's eyes follow Nesta until she walks out of the compound. It wasn't until those doors closed that the Daughter of Dawn let out a breath of relief.

Morrigan whistles, "Look at that. It seems that the Daughter of Dawn and Nesta do not get along at all. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want a real fight to happen between them." She says, earning a glare from Cassian.

The Third Commander rolls her eyes, "Don't look at me that way, Cassian. You shouldn't be so on guard with her. She rejected the bond, remember?" She asks.

The general winces, "It doesn't matter. I still have a duty to protect her. And I can't help it." He says, growing agitated with himself. He looks out of the door, staring at the path that Nesta had walked.

Cassian and Nesta are mates? Auriella asked.

Yes, but she rejected the bond. Azriel reveals.

Auriella remembered Ruth telling her about how dangerous the mating bond could be, especially when a female rejects the male. The male would either have to learn to live with it or fall into madness. Ruth had told her a tale of a man who killed an entire village because his mate did not want to be with him. In the end, he ended up taking his own life.

She stared at Cassian, seeing how the rejected bond was affecting him. He was in control of himself, but not fully. He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. He wasn't angry or feral, but he was protective.

The general caught the Daughter of Dawn's eyes, taking a few steps towards her. Azriel let out a low growl, looking over his shoulder. Perseus shot up once again, ready to protect his owner.

Cassian cleared his throat, "What was that all about, Auriella?" He asked.

She scoffed, "Do not blame this solely on me, general. She did not put her sword down so neither did I. You saw how she looked at me." She tells him.

"She wouldn't have attacked you." He says with gritted teeth.

Azriel rolled his eyes, "How would you know? She looked at Auriella as if she were prey." He says to his brother.

Morrigan steps in, "It doesn't matter now. Cassian, control yourself. Auriella was already trained before any of this and Nesta might have been jealous of her. You know she gets angry easily." She walks to the other side of the room, "Now if you all don't mind, I have to prepare everything for The Choosing tomorrow. Auriella, get some rest. We need you back here in the morning." She says.

Cassian huffs, "I'll help you. I have nothing better to do anyway." He mutters, disappearing with Morrigan.

Auriella walks off of the mat, putting on her cape. She looks to Azriel, "Can you winnow me back to Velaris? I don't want to be here anymore." She asks him.

The Spymaster nods, following her out of the compound.

As they both walked out into the coldness of the Windhaven Camp, Auriella couldn't take the silence between them. She took a deep breath, "When are we going to train, Spymaster?" She asked, staring up at the gray clouds.

During those three years after the war, Auriella had asked her fathers questions about her abilities. Thesan had told her about the unique abilities Shadowsingers held. They were able to feel and hear things that others couldn't. They could also teleport and merge with their shadows, moving with deafening quietness.

Auriella had already practiced the art of stealth around the Dawn palace, moving from room to room without making heads turn. Whenever she snuck out of her home in the middle of the night, her shadows would help her, blending her in with the darkness. Still, her shadows were not being utilized to their full potential, dimming every day that passed.

"It depends. Are you ready?" Azriel asked.

She scoffed, "What do you think? I've spent two weeks fighting with those two and barely learned anything new." She says.

"I want to make sure that you are strong enough. In the War with Hybern, you overexerted yourself, which made you faint. I don't want that to happen while I'm training you." He tells her.

Auriella remembered feeling dazed in those cloudy moments. She and Damian let the truth of their newfound abilities go to their heads, killing hundreds of Hybern's soldiers. She felt like she was in a cloud of darkness, dropping bodies one by one.

And before she fell to the ground, she remembered calling out his name... Azriel.

After that, there was nothing.

"It felt like I was being revived at that moment. Once they showed themselves, I felt like I was unstoppable." She breathed. Oh, how she wanted to relive that moment for the first time.

"When I was eleven, the exact same happened to me. I had become overwhelmed with my abilities, taking it too far until I passed out. I woke up in the mud." He says.

Auriella stifles a laugh, "How embarrassing," She says.

He scoffs, his cheeks becoming pink. "That's why I want you to be sure that you are ready. If you are, we could start whenever you feel comfortable. I won't rush you." He says.

She nods, "Would we have to return to this wretched camp? I can tell you now that I am not quite fond of that idea." She tells him.

"No, you and I will train in the forest near Velaris. It will prevent distractions and give you plenty of space to use your abilities. However, Morrigan and Nesta will want you back here to ready their pick in The Choosing for the duel." He says.

Auriella feels her heart skip a beat. They were going to train alone? She tried not to put much thought into it, not wanting to get carried away.

As they both exit the camp, Perseus walks off, sniffing the ground for a place to do his business. Azriel takes a deep breath, "Are you comfortable in the Night Court?" He asks Auriella, staring after the wolf.

It was a question she was unsure of.

She remembered how empty she was back in the Dawn Court during those three years after the war. In her home, she felt suffocated and restless, like she was about to burst at any moment. Her darkest memories resurfaced, haunting her mind when she least expected it. She wasn't able to eat well, sleep, or get rid of the nightmares of Under the Mountain.

Slowly, day by day, Auriella was wasting away, turning into a pale corpse. She was not able to sleep nor eat properly. She had almost taken her own life, believing herself unworthy of breathing. She was drowning, begging for someone to save her from herself.

But when she arrived at the Night Court, she was able to reach the surface, breathing new air. She was finally given a purpose; a reason to be needed.

"I am." She breathed.

When she looked over at her mate, he was staring away from her. His eyes gleamed as if there were tears in his eyes. He cleared his throat, whistling at Perseus. The wolf immediately came over to them, shaking the snow off of his fur.

Once Auriella clips his leash, she pets his head with both of her hands, planting a kiss on top. "Good boy," She whispers, earning a lick on her hand from her companion.

She looks up at Azriel, catching his eyes. He holds out his hand, saying nothing. Auriella's heart skips a beat. It would be the first time he has ever winnowed her. All the other times, he would winnow Perseus or someone else. A part of her couldn't help but feel excited.

Auriella places her hand in his, feeling the roughness of his damaged skin. She saw his shadows brighten as if they were relieved for them to finally have contact. Her cheeks heated, making her look down at the ground.

"I'm glad that you are, Ella." He says, her nickname rolling beautifully off his lips.

Then he winnowed them back to Velaris.